The present invention generally relates to an RF access control system. More particularly, the present invention relates to general access control for an RF access control system including an improved system of integrating an access reader, a locking mechanism, and access control electronics including a transceiver.
The applicants have filed several provisional patent applications setting forth various elements of a newly developed system for a wireless access control system. These applications include: U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/326,179 filed Sep. 30, 2001 entitled “General Access Control For Locking System” and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/326,299 filed Sep. 30, 2001 entitled “Energy Saving Motor-Driven Locking Subsystem” both of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
As set forth in the above-referenced applications, a wireless access control system may be installed at a door, for example, to provide access. The wireless access control system may include an access reader for receiving access information at the door and access control electronics including a transceiver for wirelessly relaying the access information to a remote entity to determine whether or not access is granted. The decision to grant or deny access may then be sent from the remote entity to the access control electronics via its transceiver. When the access control electronics receives a signal back through its transceiver, it may then send a signal to open the door's lock.
One embodiment set forth in the above applications shows the integration of an electric lock with an access reader control and wireless access control electronics including a transceiver to make a wireless access control system at the door. Integrating the elements of the access control system at the door and making it wireless may be preferable to wiring individual components around the door and then wiring back to a panel. However, the integration of the electric lock with the rest of the wireless access control system at the door may create security concerns. For example, the connection between the electric lock and the access control electronics may be vulnerable to interference or attack.
Thus, a need exists for a system and method for providing additional security for the connection between the electric lock and the access control electronics, for example, to prevent tampering. A need especially exists for the protection of command or control signals traveling from the access control electronics to the electric lock.